Hydrophis peronii | |
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By Ferdinando Sordelli in Jan & Sordelli, 1860 | |
Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Elapidae |
Subfamily: | Hydrophiinae |
Genus: | Hydrophis |
Species: | H. peronii
|
Binomial name | |
Hydrophis peronii (
A.M.C. Duméril, 1853)
[2]
| |
Synonyms | |
Hydrophis peronii, commonly known as the horned sea snake, Peron's sea snake, and the spiny-headed seasnake, [1] is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Hydrophiinae of the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to the western tropical Pacific Ocean. [4] It is the only sea snake with spines on the head. [3] It is sometimes placed in its own genus Acalyptophis.
The specific name, peronii, is in honor of François Péron, a French naturalist and explorer. [5]
The spiny-headed seasnake is a medium-size snake, with the diameter of the neck only one third to two fifths the diameter of the thickest part of the body. [4] The head is small and the tail flattened laterally. The supraoculars are raised, and their free borders are pointed. [4] This species reaches a snout-vent length (SVL) of up to 1.23 m (4.0 ft). [6] Dorsally, it is grayish, pale olive, or tan, with dark crossbands, which are narrower than the spaces between them and taper to a point on the sides of the belly. Ventrally, it is uniform whitish or with a series of dark crossbars alternating with spots. [4]
H. peronii is found in the Gulf of Siam, Thailand, [7] Vietnam, the South China Sea, the coast of Guangdong and Strait of Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Coral Sea Islands, Papua New Guinea, [8] and Australia, ( Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia, & possibly New South Wales). [6]
The preferred habitats of H. peronii are seas with sandy beds and coral reefs.
The diet of H. peronii includes small fish. [6]
H. peronii is a viviparous species that produces up to 10 live young per female. [6]
Hydrophis peronii | |
---|---|
![]() | |
By Ferdinando Sordelli in Jan & Sordelli, 1860 | |
Scientific classification
![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Elapidae |
Subfamily: | Hydrophiinae |
Genus: | Hydrophis |
Species: | H. peronii
|
Binomial name | |
Hydrophis peronii (
A.M.C. Duméril, 1853)
[2]
| |
Synonyms | |
Hydrophis peronii, commonly known as the horned sea snake, Peron's sea snake, and the spiny-headed seasnake, [1] is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Hydrophiinae of the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to the western tropical Pacific Ocean. [4] It is the only sea snake with spines on the head. [3] It is sometimes placed in its own genus Acalyptophis.
The specific name, peronii, is in honor of François Péron, a French naturalist and explorer. [5]
The spiny-headed seasnake is a medium-size snake, with the diameter of the neck only one third to two fifths the diameter of the thickest part of the body. [4] The head is small and the tail flattened laterally. The supraoculars are raised, and their free borders are pointed. [4] This species reaches a snout-vent length (SVL) of up to 1.23 m (4.0 ft). [6] Dorsally, it is grayish, pale olive, or tan, with dark crossbands, which are narrower than the spaces between them and taper to a point on the sides of the belly. Ventrally, it is uniform whitish or with a series of dark crossbars alternating with spots. [4]
H. peronii is found in the Gulf of Siam, Thailand, [7] Vietnam, the South China Sea, the coast of Guangdong and Strait of Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Coral Sea Islands, Papua New Guinea, [8] and Australia, ( Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia, & possibly New South Wales). [6]
The preferred habitats of H. peronii are seas with sandy beds and coral reefs.
The diet of H. peronii includes small fish. [6]
H. peronii is a viviparous species that produces up to 10 live young per female. [6]